The race begins in Nice and shortly the Côte de Gattières appears. Only 4.5 kilometres at 4.5%, so a gentle opener to stretch the legs. The riders continue to the Côte de Gourdon, a 7.7 kilometres climb at 4.2% with its crest after almost 50 kilometres. Up next is the Côte de Coursegoules. This mountain peaks out at 995 metres, while the ride to the top is 7.8 kilometres at 5%.
Still more than 100 kilometres to go and the race enters a calm phase. On rolling roads the route continues to the Côte de Gillette, which is a hill of 2 kilometres with a 5.6% slope. Following the descent a false flat runs to the foot of the Côte de Pelasque. Almost 27 kilometres remaining and tension is rising.
At 5.7 kilometres and with an average gradient of 6.2%, the Pelasque is the penultimate climb. Straight after the descent the riders tackle the final climb. The Turini Pass has never previously featured in Paris-Nice, possibly because of the elevation (1,607 metres). The high mountains easily turn into a grim and unwelcoming place this early in the season. The ascent is 14.9 kilometres long while its average slope sits at 7.3%. The mountain road is narrow and curvy with a dizzying series of hairpins.
Let’s hope for a sunny day in the Race to the Sun, so that snow and cold will not hinder the 6th stage.
The first three riders on the line win time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while two intermediate sprints (at kilometre 172.5 and kilometre 169.5) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds. Note: the last bonus sprint is on the early slopes of the Turini pass.
Another interesting read: results 7th stage Paris-Nice 2019.
Paris-Nice 2019 stage 7: route, profile, more
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